Photojoiner

Mid Project Evaluation

During Photography, I feel like my creativity has excelled and I am enjoying the subject a lot more than I first thought I could. I particularly like the subject due to the way it is conducted in class and I also like the practical side as well as the theory. My favourite topics in the subject was Lines, Colour and Reflection. I preferred these formal elements to the rest of them as the first two were ones we started out with and therefore they were where I was finding out different ways in photography. Further on in the project was where we did more in depth topics such as reflection. Reflection was the most interesting topics as it made me realise how reflections can be distorted and how we can photograph them in a virtual way. I feel like my work ethic is at its highest when I am in photography and I also would not change the amount of photographs I take in photography. One thing I would like to improve on is keeping up with the work and ensuring all my work is of my highest standard. However, I feel like with my photography and photoshop skills improving when I return to look over some of the topics that I will improve my pictures that I have already taken.

Nigel Barker

Why I chose Nigel:
One of the main reasons why I chose to explore the captivating work of Nigel Barker is because of the range of different formal elements he is capable of showing through his photography in the fashion and advertising industry. Unlike other photographers, he does not have a single element or style of photography in which he stands out, they're all different and equally as intriguing. For me, the use of his work on the TV show 'Americas Next Stop Model' shows his versatility where he is capable of showing a range of different techniques. Although it can be said his house style is not as noticeable as photographers who follow a set style, this for me stands out as being key in the photography industry in showing the range of different approaches you can take in the industry, especially in one so broad as Fashion.


Bio:

Born on April 27, 1972 in London, England, Nigel Barker is the son of a former Miss Sri Lanka, who wanted her son to pursue a modelling career. Barker initially was more interested in the sciences, and wanted to continue his studies in medicine. However, his mother placed him in a televised model search on The Clothes Show, where he ended up as a finalist. This was the start of his modelling career, which spanned ten years and has brought him to destinations such as London, Milan, Paris and New York City. Inspired by the art of modelling, Barker found a love for fashion and decided to become a photographer in 1998. He then established his own photo studio, StudioNB in Manhattan. His photo credits include GQ, Interview, Paper, Lucky and People.

In this portrait, Barker uses the formal element of form in order to highlight different parts of Taylor Swifts face. This gives the three dimensional nature of the object while exaggerating facial features and highlighting beauty in the lips, nose and particularly around the eyes. The use of shadows is key in Barkers work and is great in showing how Barker can display form in his work.

In this photograph, the formal element of Tone is used among the model  through the light tines of the complexion of the models skins and her facial features. On the other hand, there are contrasting darker tones among the head piece. I love Barkers use of the formal element especially among the white background. 

Reflection is shown in this photograph by the use of the water which fills up the bottom of the image. This is not wasted space in the image as it in fact gives a reflection of the image and duplicates it, exaggerating the features that the industry want us to notice. There is also elements of depth and tone in the image as above the water there is a huge contrast between the skin tone and the darker backdrop.

Colour and Tone are the elements shown in this photograph in which Barker highlights beauty among the industry. The colour has a huge impact on the skin tone and the background as it shows off the creative style of Barkers work and highlights the beauty of the females face. Similarly among the use of the headband which is a huge contrast to that of the light tones. 

Influence and Summaries

Like Thomas Kettner, Barker has influenced me in exploring the fashion photography industry as they highlight beauty in a stunning and effortless way. Through the use of different formal elements in his photographs, like Tone, Colour, Reflection and Form, the beauty of the models in the industry is exaggerated which emphasises what they want us to see. Apart from this the photographs are also intriguing and the range of different styles and settings can be used in order to display the vast amount of topics in the industry. After studying the work of Nigel Barker, I looked at more of his reflection images that he took for a photoshoot. After going on the walk, I saw how the work of Barker could inspire me to take reflection images of the lake which were darker. With the duck, I enhanced the colours around it through levels and curves. I changed the RGB to blue in order to enhance the blue colours and show a variety of different shades among the water. This image was inspired by Barker to enhance the reflection. 

I chose Nigel Barker from the other photographers in my contact sheet as his effortless work in the fashion industry stands out from the others by using different backgrounds to highlight emotions and beauty. The use of colour in the final image is one of my favourite, however, the way he uses reflection and his portrait images also show the range of compositions and techniques. He never does not fill up the entire frame and his simple images show beauty, without the use of editing needed. Therefore, I still like the work of Nigel Barker.

Photojoiner - Image Bank

David Hockney is a British photographer, developer and editor who focuses on taking pictures in collages and montages. The photo below is a great example of some of his outstanding work in photojoiner in which he has put together hundreds of different photographs to show the whole scene through different points of views. This is one of my favourite photojoiner pictures that I have come across as I feel like his attention to detail makes it key in allowing the audience to forget that this is actually several photos put together. In comparison to the other photos below, this one strikes near perfection and makes you feel like what you'd expect to highlight different objects in a particular setting. 

Unlike the style of Hockney's work, the following photos emphasise greater on the fact that it is a photojoiner piece with the use of larger overlapping photos. The attention is not in these photos, however I love how they look and how they're different and not perfect. They're not all in line and perfect but have more of an artistic streak and I particularly like this in these next two photographs which highlight the focal point and the background around it. Similarly, in the next two that follow we see pictures that are not as complete and that show different objects, not the entire picture.

The following photo is another of my preferred photojoiner as it shows the person and the face from different angles and each side is different. It is not exact yet takes the reality and shows it from different points of views. It gives a three dimensional recreation to the audience and it exaggerates the use of photojoiner in an intriguing way.

Texture - Definitions

Definition:

the feel, appearance, or consistency of a surface or a substance

Describing Texture:

rough, smooth, soft, spiky, sharp,

 Variety of Texture:

There is a spiky texture given off in this image which differs from the smooth feel. The spikes are highlighted from the undertone which makes the texture appear quite sharp. 

This image displays a rough feeling texture through the use of highlights and shadows which exaggerate the surface of the object. 

The texture of this object appears to be quite smooth and soft and delicate. You can tell this through the shadows and the reflection among the background.

The use of tone displays texture in an intriguing way in this one as it is not in depth enough for us to see the texture of this. The lines in this create a bobbly effect and allow the audience to picture this.

                                                               Personal Definition:

the appearance and feel of the surface of an object through the use of shadows

Texture - Work Diary

Evaluation:

Texture is one of the formal elements I felt that I would struggle going out and producing, however I thoroughly enjoyed going out and uncovering textures that I would never have noticed unless this would be a formal element. By using the macro setting on my camera, I managed to get great photographs which were in depth and clear. One of my favourite photos from the shoot was this one. 

I love this photo as I feel the texture is exaggerated in a way that makes it appear exactly the same and allows the audience to visually relate. One of the photos I did not like as much from the shoot was this one. I didn't like it because it didn't show texture as well. 

Progression: 

If I was to go out and shoot Texture again, here is some pictures that I would inspire to produce. I love these photos because they show a range of different textures through highlights in different ways from my previous evaluated photos. I like the different use of animals in this image as they are good at showing nature through mammals such as the elephant below. In the future, I will look to create different images of texture using animals as the array of different images is endless. 

Texture - Straight Images